Holiday memory: "My mother is from Bogota, Colombia and my father is Cuban. My mother and grandmother did all the cooking. I never went into the kitchen as a kid. Our meals were traditional Cuban food, whole roast pork cooked in a box — La Caja China with rice and beans. The celebration was always big, with lots of kids running around."

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 10-inch-round by 2-inch-deep cake pan by spraying the edges and bottom lightly with nonstick spray. Cut a circle out of parchment paper to line the bottom of the pan; set aside.

2

Place chocolates in a large bowl. Using a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water, salt and 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar to a near boil. Pour over chocolate, add vanilla and allow to sit for 1 minute. Whisk until chocolate is melted.

Using an electric mixer filled with a whisk attachment on medium speed, whip eggs until frothy, add remaining 1/2 cup sugar slowly and whip until triple the volume. Using a large whisk, gently fold half the egg mixture into the cooled chocolate. Add remaining egg mixture and continue to lightly whisk until well combined and no more chocolate is on the bottom of the bowl. Pour into prepared pan.

5

Place cake pan inside a roasting pan. Fill with hot water one-quarter of the way up the side of the cake pan. Bake until firm and set, about 1 hour, refilling water if necessary.

6

Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight to set.

7

Using a small, thin knife, go around the edge of the cake pan and invert onto cake board. Dust generously with confectioners' sugar. Cut into slices and serve with Candied kumquats and Eggnog crème fraîche.

Place kumquat halves, salt and cold water to cover in a medium saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat; strain and rinse under cool water.

2

Once cooled slightly but still warm, squeeze out the pulp of the fruit, leaving just the thin peel. It should resemble a small bowl. If desired, you may reserve the pulp to puree and strain for fresh kumquat juice.

3

Place kumquat peels and cold water to cover in a medium saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat; strain.

4

Using a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring to a boil the peels, sugar, 2 cups water, corn syrup, vanilla bean, cinnamon sticks and star anise in the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the peels are translucent and shiny, about 10 minutes. The syrup should thicken to resemble the consistency of molasses, but do not overcook. Remove from heat and cool completely. Store in an air-tight container refrigerated for up to one week.

Homemade crème fraîche is economical but store-bought can be substituted. Since cream in the United States is pasteurized, unlike France, it is necessary to reintroduce a little good bacteria into the cream by way of the cultured buttermilk. For an extra precaution, start with sterilized kitchen equipment using a dishwasher or boiling water. Drain on a clean dish towel. Homemade crème fraîche can be stored covered and refrigerated 7 to 10 days.

1 quart heavy cream, pasteurized, not ultra-pasteurized

1 tablespoon buttermilk, cultured

Zest of 1/2 orange

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

3/4 cup sugar

6 large egg yolks

½ cup Amaretto liqueur

2 tablespoons brandy

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1

Using a glass bowl or jar, combine the heavy cream and buttermilk, mix well. Cover airtight and place in a warm, draft-free place in your kitchen, allow to rest and thicken. The time will vary from 12 to 72 hours, depending on the room temperature (ideally 75-80F), type of cream, how fast the good bacteria go to work and the desired sourness and consistency. Check and stir every 12 hours.

2

Once thickened to the consistency of sour cream, add the orange zest and grains of scraped vanilla bean and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

3

Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed, whip until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until needed.

4

Prepare an ice bath, set aside. Use a medium heatproof bowl set over a large saucepan of simmering water. The bowl should not touch the water. Whisk the sugar, egg yolks, Amaretto and brandy constantly until well blended. Cook until thickened, about 5-8 minutes. Whisk in nutmeg.

5

Cool completely over an ice bath, using a rubber spatula to fold the sabayon, as not to deflate.

6

Gently fold the whipped creme fraiche into the cooled sabayon mixture in thirds.

HARRISBURG — The State Supreme Court has rejected Attorney General Kathleen Kane's attempt to throw out a grand jury investigation into whether she or someone in her office leaked investigative secrets to a newspaper to discredit critics.

Convicted streetlight scammers Patrick J. McLaine and Robert J. Kearns must face charges in Bucks County alleging they took money from Richland Township without following through on a contract to purchase and maintain its light poles.

Catasauqua police officer Scott M. Rothrock had already been stabbed once in the chest with a 13-inch butcher knife and was trying to block more thrusts as he lay on his back in a snow bank Feb. 23 in east Allentown.